The Alabama Commission on Higher Education
and the Alabama State Board of Education recently approved
Northeast Alabama Community College to offer a short-term
certificate, certificate, and Associate in Applied Science
degree in Criminal Justice. The program will begin in the Fall
semester.

According to Dr. Mike Kennamer, NACC’s
Director of Workforce Development, the program is being
established as a result of requests from local law enforcement
officials and interest expressed by current and prospective
students. “Our goal at Northeast is to respond to the needs of
the community,” stated Kennamer, “and the implementation of this
program is an example of how we do that.”

The Associate in Applied Science degree
includes courses in general education, law enforcement, and a
required internship. Certificates will allow students to
specialize in security, homeland security, law enforcement
management, or forensics. “We expect that law enforcement
officers may want to earn a certificate in a specialized area
such as forensics or management, that will help them in their
jobs,” stated Kennamer. According to Kennamer, courses taken for
the certificate programs will also count toward the degree.

NACC President, Dr. David Campbell, is
pleased to be able to offer this program to the law enforcement
community. “This is certainly a very important area of training
that the college is providing, especially with issues of
homeland security that have emerged in America,” stated Dr.
David Campbell, NACC President. “We are pleased to be able to
expand on our current program by offering a full two-year degree
in law enforcement.”

According to the Alabama Department of
Industrial Relations, openings for law enforcement jobs are
expected to grow by approximately 2 percent each year through
2014. With the nearest program of this type more than 70 miles
away, Northeast’s program seems positioned for success.

Brent Satterfield, who currently teaches
Criminal Justice transfer courses at Northeast, will coordinate
and teach in the program. “I am most excited that Northeast is
offering this much needed program to the law enforcement
professionals in our communities,” stated Satterfield. “This
program will focus on providing educational advancement for
local law enforcement as well as incoming freshmen interested in
obtaining a two-year course of study in Criminal Justice,” he
continued.

The program is housed in the college’s new
Workforce Development building, which is equipped with the
latest equipment in educational technology. For more information
about how you can prepare for an exciting career in law
enforcement, contact Brent Satterfield at
satterfieldb@nacc.edu
or phone extension 304, or visit NACC Criminal Justice web site
at http://www.nacc.edu/CRJ.